Understanding peer support for doctors

The thesis explores the short- and long-term experiences of doctors after participating in a peer support program. The research is situated within the broader context of doctor well-being which is of importance both for the doctors and for patient care. Research questions: The study addresses the reasons doctors seek peer support, the influence of peer support on subsequent changes in their attitudes and behaviors, and the impact of various elements in the design of peer support services on their perceived benefits. The research aims to understand doctors´ reflections and experiences, emphasizing the changes needed to promote doctor well-being. Methodology and data: Two Norwegian peer support services for doctors, Villa Sana and Støttekollegaordningen, were investigated through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with doctors within 10 days and a year after they had utilized these services. The data was collected and analyzed over a period of three years. One of the approaches was comparing short-term with the long-term follow-up interviews to assess changes. The results were interpreted in light of three different theoretical perspectives; 1) Edgar Schein’s theory on organizational culture, 2) psychological safety and 3) the hidden curriculum in medicine. Key conclusions and findings: Reasons for seeking peer support: The doctors reported a broad spectrum of reasons for seeking support, spanning from concerns and seeking advice, feeling unable to cope any longer, to having been on sick leave and now looking for a way back to work or a way out. They described both work- and privately related reasons for seeking support. Influence of peer support on change processes a year later: The study indicated a shift in the doctors’ expectations of what it means to be a doctor to also embrace and accept more human aspects, such as illness, limitations, and self-worth beyond work performance. They thereby challenge unwritten rules known as the ‘hidden curriculum’ in medicine dictating that doctors should be strong, healthy, and always put the patient´s needs first. The doctors reported having made changes both in relation to work and in their private relationships. Some had attended therapy and treatment. It thus seems that peer support can facilitate awareness of and promote changes in professional cultural values that help the doctors to self-care. Impact of design elements on benefit from peer support: The design elements of peer support services, including psycho